The Meeting started with a presentation honoring LEUSD Teacher and Board Member Stan Crippen for all his years of service to the community.
Stan Crippen and Mayor Pro-Tem Ben Benoit
TOP NEWS FROM THE MEETING
Final hurdles out of the way for 2021 Brewfest at Marna O'Brien park this October
City Council Meetings to find new 6:00pm time slot
Measure AA Committee welcomes Kathleen Kovich to the group
Subcommittee of Mayor Nigg and Mayor Pro-Tem Benoit to look over possible direct election of Wildomar's Mayor
City Manager Gary Nordquist's last day set for Jan 31, 2022
Police Department Update
Only 1 citation was written.
I was a bit surprised to see this year's number of fireworks calls doubling last years. I would have wagered that there were 100 calls from a handful of residents alone. Then again, posting on Facebook about an issue has never been factored into actual police stats.
opinion time regarding illegal fireworks
I'm a realist first and foremost.
Therefore, when it comes to fireworks, littering, running stop signs in neighborhoods, etc. I recognize that there is no way that enforcement alone will do anything more than chip off a few percentage points of scofflaws that simply do not care about community standards.
Such people know that the odds of being caught are minimal (like speeding on the freeway), and with California's new soft approach to prosecuting law breakers, they know that even if caught they'll most likely get no penalty of consequence.
The key is in the hands of today's parents, to instill in their children that community standards are important to respect.
In the meantime, knowing that we have neighbors that confuse celebrating liberty with shooting incendiary devices over our rooftops at 1am, it's best to find ways to cope.
Also in the Police Department Update was news regarding the rash of 8 smash and grab break ins that occurred after 2am on July 5th. It was a spree that included 40 known incidences that appeared to begin in Temecula and finish in Hemet.
All the suspects have been identified, and one arrest has already been made. (This is at the 20 minute mark of the video below).
Deputy Dallin Chambers was introduced and is now part of the Wildomar special enforcement team.
Library Update
On July 28th they are celebrating their 28th anniversary and invite you to come on down for a cup of Starbucks coffee. They open at 10am and close at 6pm.
There is also a bookmark contest, so if you're an artist, or one in the making, please consider entering the contest. 😊
Be sure to stop by and see what's happening this Summer.
Code Enforcement Reinvigorated
As many of you already know, long time code enforcement officer Keith Ross passed away earlier this year. There has been a big hole to fill but now Wildomar is back up to full strength, and then some, when it comes tothis department.
You may disagree with the idea of code enforcement in li'l ol' WillyMar, but 95% of the rest of us don't.
If you're one that has been pushing the limits with code issues, take this as a friendly reminder to clean up your act. If not, the new officers are coming with the ferocity of a pitbull (and I'm not apologizing to pitbull owners if that comparison offends you).
If you get cited, send your complaint letters to jmorabito@cityofwildomar.org and I'll nominate you for the inaugural hardhead of the year award.
1.8 Baxter Village Medical Office Building Site
Grading is scheduled to begin "September to October time frame". The owner of the property will be securing the perimeter once grading has occurred to keep illegal dumping and trespassing in check.
I guess that Baxter Off Road Park will finally be a thing of the past... but I'll only believe it after I see it. In the meantime, let's stroll down memory lane which includes images of the vaunted Brown House in this timeless parody video.
3.1 Santa Rosa Plateau Nature Education Foundation Special Event Memorandum of Understanding
This was on the agenda of the last meeting, but the wording of the item left a lot to be desired, so it was tabled.
From the agenda:
City participation would include, but not limited to providing the following and related services: perimeter fencing, restroom facility rental, janitorial services, security services, trash collection bins, traffic control, traffic barriers, on- site EMT/First Aid, parking, and shuttle service.
The cost to the general fund for this event will be up to $15,000
If there are any funds remaining from the cost of facilitating the event at Marna O’Brien Park, the remaining amount will be used to promote and market the event through a plan developed by the Economic Development Department.
I see this as a win for the city. I think it’s good for a city to have a signature event, and though not all will support a beer festival (not everyone drinks alcohol), I’m sure that not everyone in Gilroy is excited about being known for garlic.
Before Wildomar I lived in San Clemente, and they had their “Ocean Festival” where the main streets were blocked off for a 5-K and then a huge block party that went all the way down to the pier. I remember the first year that I encountered it, I couldn't get across the street and was mad about it. In later years, after I'd had kids, I realized it was a great thing for the community.
Though it’s not for everyone, it’s still good for the city.
—Councilman Joseph Morabito comments at the meeting
3.6 Establishment of an Ad-Hoc Re-Districting Subcommittee
Quick rundown on what this is about.
First, after each census the political district lines get redrawn and the five districts that comprise Wildomar City Council need to be updated.
Second, last year the Mayor suggested we look at going from five council districts and rotating the title of Mayor to four districts and a Mayor that the entire city votes for.
I can see both good and bad things coming from that.
On the good side is that the voters would now have two people they could vote for instead on just one. There would be consistency with one mayor instead of constantly having to adjust to a new style.
On the negative side if the elected Mayor is headstrong or difficult, doesn't seem to be putting in enough time, or is actually on the inept side there is nothing that can be done about it until the term is finished and the voters choose again.
The way it currently is set up, the Mayor is there for a year (usually) and then hands the gavel over to the next person in line (that's how it is in most smaller cities. In our area, only Menifee bucks that trend). If a mayor is in over his or her head, it would have less impact in the course of a year than over the long haul of four years.
A novel idea was floated out by Kenny Mayes during his public comment.
He suggested keeping the five districts and then having a Mayor with limited powers that is voted in by the entire city.
I don't know if it's doable or if it's permissible under California law, but if it is, I love that idea. Way to go Kenny, you knocked that one out of the park.
The next issue would be who should decide such a thing?
Should that be the five city council members, or should it be put to a vote of the people?
There are arguments on both sides, but without some very persuasive reasoning against it, my stance is that it needs to be put on the ballot, and then retroactive term limits must be put on the ballot too; twelve years is enough.
If in the end this goes forward, I have the perfect candidate for Wildomar's first elected Mayor. If that person isn't interested, then I'll throw my hat into the ring... seriously.
The subcommittee will be comprised by the Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem. I wanted to be on the subcommittee, but was happy to step aside for the two chosen. The big reason to not push wanting to be on the subcommittee was that it was the idea of the Mayor in the first place, and he should be on it for that reason. Also, because of the Brown Act, I couldn't have been on with the Mayor or Mayor Pro-Tem.
This will take more than one public meeting, so please give it some thought, talk it over with your neighbors and plan on actively participating in this decision.
3.7 Approval of Master Equity Lease Agreement and Maintenance Agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management
The blog is getting long by this time so let me sum this up.
We need city vehicles.
Should we buy or should we lease?
I can't imagine how leasing is a better move than purchasing. Which is the case in normal years. Thing is, this hasn't been a "normal year" and there are issues in the supply chain that is making new vehicles more difficult to obtain.
In the end it was a 5-0 vote to approve the item which will be to lease the vehicles.
I argued against the idea of leasing, but under the circumstances, understood that our back was to the proverbial wall and we needed the vehicles.
My vote went from a no to a yes after I asked if this was a one and done vote, and it was established that it will be reviewed with each new budget. I'll be willing to look at the numbers at that time, but if they don't clearly show a savings by leasing over purchasing, my 2021 vote will be a NO from here on out.
It wasn't really highlighted at the meeting, but the city manager is in the last year of his contract and he was planning on retiring last year but agreed to stay on another year to help guide the city through the Covid state of emergency. His last day is slated to be January 31, 2022.
The task of looking for the next city manager will begin shortly.
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“The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.” – Bertrand Russell Wildomar Rap wants to know if Berty used to kiss his mom with that potty mouth?
This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links).Link to proper format.
The newsworthy nuggets from the June city council meeting start with Administrative Analyst Janet Morales getting a five year pin. In addition to her duties at city hall, if you've ever been to a parks event, you have to thank her for helping them come to fruition.
Janet Morales (pronounced Jenette) showing her 5 year pin and Mayor Bridgette Moore.
Public Comments These are on items NOT on the agenda. • Kenny Mayes spoke about having the council chambers used as a second cooling station on hot days. Currently, the only one in town is at Lakeview Chapel. •Miss Miller reminded people that the election is not over yet, then went into song about the virtues of being a progressive. • Erin Hartley spoke about her experience with the ALS-ONE 5k held the Saturday before. They raised nearly $4000 for their charity.
The consent calendar is a merciful invention that consolidates many agenda items that don't need debate, into one simple up or down vote.
However, a councilmember or —member of the public— can ask to have an item "pulled" so they can talk about it.
Public Comments on Consent Calendar items • Miss Miller. No singing here, but a bit of back and forth with the council and I could have sworn she suggested that Bernie Sanders was going to fix the Brown House after getting funds out of the Cadmen [sic] Islands. Watch the video and you decide. She also encouraged veganism and sent a zinger Councilmember Walker's way, comparing their relative sizes at the 0:40 mark of the video.
• Kenny Mayes touched on the Freedom Swing's re-installation at Marna O'Brien park, and whether it's been properly certified/inspected yet.
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2.2 FY 2016/17 Budget Amendments There has been a yearly hit to the budget based on reduced Gas Company franchise fee that is paid to the city. It's gone from about $58,000 per year to just $1600 per year. There were also increases for fire and police services, as indicated in the image below.
It appears to zero out due to the debt payment to the county being eliminated by last year's AB 107, with a projected surplus of $9,400.
3.1 Planning Commissioner appointment
There had been six applications submitted for the open seat and Councilmember Marsha Swanson chose someone that has lived in Wildomar for 36 years, Kim Strong.
She will be sworn in at the next Planning Commission meeting, and will serve out the term vacated by former Commissioner Gary Brown, which ends at the end of 2018.
3.2 General Election November 8, 2016
As city clerk Debbie Lee pointed out, elections normally go under the consent calendar. However, this being Wildomar's first City Council election since being forced to divide the city into districts, and her first "by districts" election in her 26 years as a city clerk, she wanted to go over the parameters. Not all voters in Wildomar will be getting a ballot that has a city council race on it. Actually, most voters will NOT be voting for a coucilmember this year. Only districts 2 and 4, which are currently being held by Councilmembers Moore and Cashman. Debbie Lee went on to explain that though Bridgette Moore is the mayor for 2016, the election is for a Councilmember, not a Mayor. If you live in either district 2 or 4, and are thinking about a run for a City Council seat, starting July 18th you'll have two weeks to file the paperwork. As an aside, if you live in district 4 (Bridgette Moore's area) and are thinking about a run for City Council, allow me to suggest you have your head examined. Thanks to the misanthropy of some self styled community activists, the districts in Wildomar have become de facto safe seats for any councilmember that puts in more than a perfunctory showing.
After the meeting I asked Councilmember Cashman if he was planning on running and he didn't give me a yes or a no. He wants to cogitate on it a bit more. He mentioned that he's been active in the community for 35 years and hinted that maybe that's enough. Many people do not know which district that they live in. Check the map below and find out.
Key to Districts
Ben Benoit
Bob Cashman
Tim Walker
Bridgette Moore
Marsha Swanson
City Manager Report
• There is a trail subcommittee meeting slated for June 20th.
• Yellow Basket is said to be opening in mid June.
• • •
Anyone can get old, all you have to do is live long enough.
The meeting lasted about an hour and a half, which included a recess of about 15 minutes. It started much the way the previous meeting did, with the council at the dais, then moving to the audience to hear a presentation by demographer Douglas Johnson.
Before the meeting Planning Commissioner Veronica Langworthy chats with Planning Director Matt Bassi and fellow commissioner Stan Smith (far right) and Maria Walker, about the draft maps on display at the back of the room.
The public comments were down to four this meeting
George Taylor spoke of the pros and cons of the various maps, and provided some levity when he used the term "violently opposed" instead of "vehemently opposed." We all knew what he meant, but it was still fodder for banter, and he took it all in stride. (quick link to that remark)
John Lloyd who spoke about how all the efforts of the desegregation era seem to be getting undone now.
Veronica Langworthy mentioned several discrepancies that she'd found in the data, and Douglas Johnson answered later.
Joseph Morabito (that's me) asked how the new districts would affect how planning commissioners are chosen, which was also answered (they aren't affected).
The council seemed to be favoring Draft Map A, but didn't like a few areas that split neighborhoods. The problem in our small city is that with every adjustment here, requires another adjustment there.
The demographer has to keep to census blocks as they currently exist, and not just draw the lines wherever they choose to. As you can see in the image below, the reason why the neighborhood (in pink) was being split, is that's where the census block was drawn long ago. This became known as the "Cashew Fix" and the line was moved to accommodate the entire pink area.
The census takers drew the line right down the middle of Cashew Street.
Before the council had a chance to vote on a particular map, Councilmember Ben Benoit asked for a ten minute break. During that time he got with the demographer and experimented with moving a few blocks here and there.
In the end, they came up with a map dubbed Draft Map A+. Which was then voted in unanimously.
A proper map will be available online at the city's website in a day or two.
Several odd notches were eliminated, and a neighborhood at the top of this map, (near Crooked Arrow Drive) that had been slated for District 2 was brought into District 1. Also, the new neighborhoods that are off of Clinton Keith and Stable Lanes were included with the rest of Windsong Valley that is found in District 3.
Here are the councilmember's districts
1 Ben Benoit
2 Bob Cashman
3 Tim Walker
4 Bridgette Moore
5 Marsha Swanson
If you watch the video, you can hear the reasons why some neighborhoods had to be split. Especially the one called The Ridge just east of Ronald Reagan Elementary. It has to do with the census lines, and they will be redrawn in 2020, when our districts will be updated to reflect whatever the realities are at that time.
Next time this comes up will be at the regularly scheduled city council meeting in March where Draft Map A+ will be formally adopted. There is still a small chance that a few minor tweaks could be made to the map, but that didn't seem like a reality based on what I gathered at the meeting.
• • •
Two proud men can't ride one donkey. — English Proverb
Wildomar Rap reminds you to: Shake, shake, shake (horns go here) shake, shake, shake (more horns go here) shake your booty, shake your boooooty.
The key bit of business at the February 10th city council meeting was the hour long portion dealing with the implementation of council districts in Wildomar.
A look at Mayor Bridgette Moore as she snaps a shot of Douglas Johnson during his presentation.
I've included the entire video. There are a couple of cuts where there was no action due to the council joining the audience and then returning to the dais.
Also, I have superimposed some of the maps that Mr. Johnson is referring too so that you can better grasp what he's discussing. Still, this isn't a professional video, so there are times where unavoidable camera shaking is present.
This part of the agenda, 2.4 Proposed Voting by Districts Boundary Maps, started with the City Manager, Gary Nordquist, reading a statement about the purpose of the public hearing. After which Mayor Bridgette Moore directed the council to join the audience for Douglass Johnson's presentation.
Mr. Johnson spent about 20 minutes discussing the three draft maps he'd prepared. The criteria/goals involved and what the reason for several [apparent] anomalies in the draft maps were due to.
He also discussed the interactive map on the city's website. Both for those wanting to look at what's there, and for those that want to build their own district maps for submission.
Public meeting, as an agenda item, within a public meeting [[I think he meant regular city council meeting]] is plain wrong. With only three public meetings being offered, no matter how distasteful the subject is to some, the very least the citizens deserve a meeting uncluttered by all the other nonsense.
Did that guy really just say such a thing? "Cluttered up by all the other nonsense"???
Oh the irony of it all. To the average member of the audience, it's as if he, and Miss Miller, try to outdo each other in hopes of getting Chuck Barris' attention to be contestants on the long defunct Gong Show—every time they go up to the mike. Which is usually at least three times every evening either of them shows up. Just to give you a taste of what often goes on for three minutes, several times each meeting, take a look at his ten second contribution from an earlier part of the meeting, that cost us all more than a minute of our lives... but I digress.
George Taylor read a letter disagreeing with the entire process of converting to districts.
Andy Morris discussed various lines on the maps. He favored map A.
Gary Andre let us know that he's a pastor, to read your bibles, that he's had four brain surgeries and we're all the same on the inside. He doesn't like districts, "but we have them. If I were to choose, it'd be 2 or 3," which is equivalent to B and C if you're following the agenda.
From here, city clerk read off the preferences from about half a dozen emails to the council.
Mr. Johnson spoke again, trying to answer questions posed by the speakers.
My favorite part of the meeting was when resident Maria Walker asked the following question.
If the community picks one of these, or one that you come up with that meets all of the requirements, will the person, or a person —can they sue?
—Maria Walker
The question was answered by expert attorney Margurite Leoni by telephone connection.
If the community and council agree that one of these plans is appropriate for the city, and the council enacts it by ordinance, that plan can no longer be challenged under the California Voting Rights Act, and in this case, there would also not be a challenge under the federal voting rights act.
Let me make clear that there are crazy people out there who sue even when they don't have a basis for a lawsuit.
So it might be best to say, that if somebody attempted to sue the city, the city would have a very good opportunity to —almost certainly, to get the complaint dismissed very early.
—Margurite Mary Leoni
The last eight minutes on item 2.4 were the council discussing the issue.
• Bob Cashman was worried about having an easy drive to service his district and that he favored using the freeway as a dividing line.
"Can I easily drive to the places where the people I want to serve live? And the driving distances are quite a difference because anything on the east side of the freeway is one set of driving pathways, and anything on the west side has another set of pathways. So, I would probably prefer a plan that is divided along the freeway. I think that probably if I lived in Sedco, I would never go on the other side of that hill. So if I'm going to represent an area, I want to represent an area where people have some similarity."
Bob, Wildomar isn't Los Angeles. You can drive from your house to any point in the city in under ten mins. You're a council member and if such a daunting drive is weighing on you, that may be an indication it's time to pack it in. No offense or anything, just saying out loud what everyone else is thinking.
• Marsha Swanson "I absolutely do not want the freeway to divide us. I think that's absolutely wrong. We have constituents on both sides [of the freeway] with concerns and I think we need to represent as many different types of people as we can."
• Tim Walker "All I know is that my horse and buggy will go anywhere in this city (followed by some laughter). I like [map] A, but I can do whatever."
• Ben Benoit "I've driven this entire city, front to back, and walked almost every neighborhood. I'll go anywhere. With that I get the smallest geographical area in map A, but I think map A, to me, makes the most sense."
• Bridgette Moore "I'm leaning towards draft A."
A look from the back of the room, which wasn't even half full by the time agenda item 2.4 was addressed.
Last bit of news that came from the meeting is that the same lawyer, sent the same type of letter to San Juan Capistrano, at about the same time as the one he sent to Wildomar. They didn't address it right away, as our council and city attorneys did, and now SJC has had a lawsuit filed against them. It's discussed in the latter part of the video.
As we know, that will not work out well for them. This type of lawsuit has never ended well for a municipality, even when the judgement is favorable for them.
Thanks to our tireless professionals that have saved the people of Wildomar many thousands of dollars over the years, from the repetitive onslaughts by some severely misguided individuals.
Next meeting discussing the conversion to districts will be in two weeks. Wednesday February 24th at 7:00pm. Note the time difference from usual start times.
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Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody . — Mark Twain
Wildomar Rap reminds you:Though it feels like mid May out there the last couple of days, I wouldn't go planting any tomatoes until at least the second week of March.
The city has uploaded three draft maps with different configurations for the coming new city council districts.
To better view the maps, you can go to the city's website (This Link), or you can follow the next set of links that will take you to specific maps. Also from the city's website, you can locate demographic analysis.
Of the three proposed maps, I found that Draft A seemed the most representative of the city. Keeping it in the most logical groupings while also balancing out the demographic concerns. Without poring over the maps, and the other data, the only change I'd suggest is removing the notch that district 5 makes into district 4 (see image below).
No need to break up that common neighborhood.
If the notch was made due to a numbers concern, I'd suggest finding a different place to make that adjustment.
The next meeting dealing with District Conversions will be at the regularly scheduled city council meeting, Wednesday February 10th, at 6:30pm. Plan on a long meeting, and I was told that the Districts issue will be at the end of the agenda so as to allow it as much time as it needs.
A recent article appeared in the Press Enterprise discussing this topic. Very informative, but there was one sentence in there that rankled me.
The goal is to come up with five districts evenly balanced by population, while giving Latinos, the city’s largest minority ethnic group, a better chance to win.
That is an insult to every man, woman and child in Wildomar... ethnicity notwithstanding.
There's no need in reminding everyone that our mayor, Bridgette Moore, is of Mexican heritage because we've already been brought up to speed on that (her grandparents came to the USA before the outbreak of WWII, and her grandfather fought alongside other Americans in that war earning a Purple Heart.) Also, that she was elected in the first group of council members and was reelected in 2012.
No one has ever tried to dissuade a single voter or a single candidate based on their name, national origin or pigmentation in Wildomar.
It's just appalling that people are still being grouped together based common DNA (or common surname origins) instead of common thoughts or common living areas in which people freely choose to be part of... if they have to be lumped together at all.
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I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. — Martin Luther King Jr
Wildomar Rap reminds you:judging others by their wrapper is bad no matter which direction it stems from.
Today's update on what I'm calling District Conversion, is two pronged.
First I'm uploading the letters from the LA attorney, and the responses from Wildomar's attorneys. The best way to view the first letter is by enlarging it. You can do that by holding the control key and hitting the + key if you're on a PC. Or you can save it to your device and view it through your own software.
As you can see in the graphic below, the next official part of the process will be on February 3, 2016. I asked how this initial draft will be made public, and it'll be on the city's website on the 3rd. I suggest that you sign up for city emails at the following address if you want to keep up on this. LINK
The next public discussion of the Conversion to Districts is scheduled for Wednesday, February 10th.
Second, I attended a Community Coffee hosted by Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez and had a chance to ask her if there was any relief that Wildomar, and other communities faced with vexatious lawsuits, could expect from Sacramento.
The short answer was: Could the state do something? Yes, if the majority weren't what it is right now, yes we could do something... So while I'd like to say "yes, there's something we can do right now," the odds are they would never let it pass.
As long as I had the Assembly woman's attention, I thought I'd ask her about another issue that is bearing down on Wildomar. Medical marijuana ordinances.
Currently, local municipalities have until March 1st to enact rules and laws regarding medical marijuana. A bill has cleared the assembly that removes the deadline. Now it's up to the Senate and the Governor to do their part.
• • •
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.— Groucho Marx
Wildomar Rap reminds you:that sufferers of cognitive dissonance can be cured if they'd just let go of their pigheaded fantasies.
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